Thèmes populaires

How to create a homogeneous culture across boundaries?

Résumé du mémoire

We have decided to study the company Unilever for several reasons. Firstly, Unilever is a European company that is one of the biggest multinationals in the world. Secondly, as we have chosen to study the corporate culture of multinationals, Unilever presents a particular corporate culture. Indeed, as opposed to most of the other multinationals, Unilever presents values based on human relationships and local autonomy. Finally, we had the opportunity to get an interview with a Unilever executive called Stéphane Verhaeren. He is the Brand Manager for the Knorr Culinary Aids.

Extraits du mémoire

[...] In the branded olive oil category they are a leader, the most important brand being Bertolli. They are the world's leading ice cream producer, with brands such as Algida and Wall's in Europe, and Ben & Jerry's in the United States. They are the largest seller of packet tea in the world through our Lipton and Brook Bonds band. They lead the home care market in much of the world, which includes cleaning and hygiene products. Many of their home care products are market leaders including Brilhante, Cif, Comfort, Domestos, Omo, Skip and Snuggle. [...]

[...] Soap and margarine were to remain at the heart of the Unilever's business. Unilever's historical development included a uniquely wide geographical spread. The firm's predecessors had been among the ?first' multinational firms, which, during the second half of the nineteenth century, had begun to build factories in foreign countries rather than merely export products to them. Indeed, in 1890, ?Lever Brothers? began to switch from exporting its soap to building factories in foreign markets. Factories were built in other European countries, in the richest markets of the British Empire such as Canada and Australia, and in the United States. [...]

[...] Different elements of Unilever's corporate culture could be traced to stereotypical views of either British or Dutch management. For example, the preference for meetings in which there is a search for consensus is a typical feature of Dutch management. The tendency to fix outcomes in corridors and rest rooms are a noted characteristic of British managers. The relationship between the British and the Dutch is undoubtedly assisted by cultural compatibilities. The two countries are geographical neighbours on either side of the North Sea, which share a common mercantile, seafaring and colonial heritage. [...]